Auxiliary motor support



April 1, 1930. J. M. R|QRDAN 1,752,809

AUXILIARY MOTOR SUPPORT Original Filed Jan. 28, 1925 a Q B INVENTOR.

A TTORN Y5 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M, nronnnn, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN AUXILIARY Moron sUr'roRT,

Application filed January 28,1925, Serial No. 5,290. Renewed October 3, 1929.

The present invention relates to a supplemental supporting means for use with automobile engines and more particularly to a support which may be attached to the rear end of a Ford motor and transmission case or to the rear end of an auxiliary transmission case where such is attached to the usual Ford construction. In a Ford automobile, the frame employed is of the flex- 10 ible type, that is, of atype that can weave slightly in use and the motor'is' supported on this frame on three points, one at the front of the motor and two points on the sideframe members on a transverse line passing approximately through the fly wheel housing of the motor. so arranged thatthe motor supporting memher and the framev may have limited movement independentof each other, the holddown bolts of these supports having springs mounted thereon so as to give this limited independent movement. In this form of engine support, it has been found that these spring supports are given unusual stresses which very often reach the breaking point because of the method of propelling the vehicle through radius rods which connect the rear axle with the engine and transmission case. The driving shaft from the transmission to the rear axle is in its normal position at an angle to the horizontal. Thus when the Ford car is'placed in reverse gear or when the brakes are applied, there is a tendency to straighten out this drivlng shaft and motor and thus pull down upon the 7 motor proper, placing an excess strain on the side frame supports for the motor. When the car is started suddenly, the tendency of the driving shaft is reversed, that is, there is a tendency for the shaft angle to increase and thus raise the motor on the front hearing or support and lift the side supports off of the frame.

The strains due to the shaft angle are increased when an auxiliary transmission unit is connected to the usual Ford motor and transmission, or motor unit, and it has been found desirable when an extra transmission unit is added to furnish some extra form of support for the rear end of this transmission These two side frame supports are and held in place by means of a washer 9 and a nut 10. This construction allows the unit so as to relieve the regular motor supports-of the extra load due to the increased shaft angle. The present inventionparticularly relates to the construction of a supporting member for use with a Ford motor 5 and more part1cularly'to the construction of a supporting memberwhich can easily be mounted on a Ford either in its normal form or where an extra transmission unit has been installed. a

To the accomplishment ofthe foregoing and related ends, said invention, then,;c0n sists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following '65 description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing n Fig. l is a plan view showing a Ford frame and motor with a supplemental trans- 'mission and illustrating the point of attachment for the supplemental support; Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the device shown in Fig- 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the Ford frame showingthesupporting member and transmission housing in elevation; and, Figfl is a fragmentary secso tional view showing the support as applied to .a Ford motor where a supplemental transmission is not employed.

n The Ford constructioncomprises a frame made up of side members lfwhich are cona"; nested at their forward end by a cross member 2as best shown'in Fig. l and the Ford motor and transmission is formed into an integral motor unit 3 which is mounted on the front cross member in a suitable bearing 4 and which has at the sides on a line passing approximately through the center of the fly wheel housing 5 two supporting brackets 6 which normally reston theside frame mem. bers. To hold these brackets in place, a bolt 1 7 is passed through the bracket and the upper horizontal frame member and a spring 8 is mounted on the bolt above the bracket l l l Ford motor and frame members to give independently of each other. In the present figures, there is shown as attached to the rear end of the Ford transmission case, a sup plemental transmission case 11 which will be securely bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the original Ford unit. a

The supporting means employed consists of an I-beam 12 which is dropped at its center portion and which is adapted to be attached at its ends to the side frames by means of U bolts 13 which pass over the frame chan nels and which extend below the supporting member to hold the same against the frame by means of a plate 14 which is passed over the ends of the bolts and is held securely in position by means of the usual nuts 15. At

the center this supporting member is proporting member so as to be movable there- I through and a coiled spring 20 is placed beher and the head 22 of the pin.

tween the upper face of the supporting member and the lower face of the transmission case. A second coil spring 21 is mounted between the lower face of the supporting mem- The upper spring 20 is lighter or of less compression strength than the spring 21 be- I low the member and is of such a length and strength as to have-a shut height when the two side motor supports reach their limiting position thus forming at this instant a fourpoint motor support and taking the excess load away from the side motor supports of the engine. The lower supporting spring which is heavier and longer than the upper supportmg spring permits upward move- .ment of the Ford mptor in direct relation to the movement permitted by the springs 8 and bolts 7 of the side motor supports but is arranged that it shuts and thus definitely limits the upward movement of-the rea'rendof the Ford motor to prevent the side motor supports from takingthis load. This limiting upward movement occurs at the same height as the limit of the side motor supports. The pin passing through the supporting member is of less diameter than the aperture in the member so as to allow for the normal sidewise or weaving movement which the motor and transmission may have relative to the side frame members.

In Fig. 4, there is illustrated a motor support which may be applied to the Ford motor unit where no auxiliary transmission is attached and in this form there is a bracket or supporting pad 30 which is securely and rigidly attached to the rear end of the Ford transmission housing, this pad being pro- "vided with an aperture 31 in which the movable pin 17 of the supplemental support is mounted. Otherwise the support is identical withthat shown in the other form consisting of an I-beam 12 which is attached to the frame members and which carries the movable pin17 by means of the two springs 20 and 21, the one above and the other below the supporting member proper.

The present support which consists of the pin rather loosely mounted in the supporting member and so arranged as to have vertical movement likewise allows for sidewise movement within the normal limits through which this movement occurs and also allows a certain amount of rotative movement of the motor about the axis of the crank shaft as the pin can, leanto either side through the hole in the supporting member. In this way the support is adapted to take the excess driving strain away from theside supports of the motor and at the same time allow the motor to have its normal movement independent of the frame members. There are times when the F 0rd motor with this additional support will have a four point suspension momentarily but the auxiliary support normally merely relieves the lost motion side supports of the motor from either the excess strain upwardly or the excess strain downwardly due to the tendency for the driving shaft to strai hten out the angle between the axis of the shaft and the axis of the motor.

Thevpresent construction is so arranged that it can be readily attached to the standardFord construction either in its normal form or where an auxiliary transmission housing is mounted to the rear of the usual Ford transmission. The lengthening of the Ford motor back of the side supports by means of an auxiliary transmission increases the angle which the driving shaft has to the horizontal and the necessity for an additional supportingmember is increased as this shaft angle increases, but as there is alwaysan angle to the shaft the use of this auxiliary support is of benefit whether an auxiliary transmission case is employed or not. The construction is so arranged that it can beiapphed without disturbing any of the parts normallyin the machine and without disturbing the functioning of the supports for the motor and the attaching devices are so arranged that the frame members do not needto be drilled or changed in any way to allow the supporting member to be attached.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention i 1. Ina supplementary support for autollfi mobile motor units, the combination of the automobile frame, a motor unit mounted therein, a supporting member extending below said motor unit adjacent the rear end thereof and secured to the frame, a support secured to said motor and passing through said member, a coil spring mounted onsaid support between said motor unit and said member and adapted to limit the downward movement of said motor unit and furnish a fixed support therefor upon predetermined downward movement, and a second spring mounted on said support below said member and adapted to reach its shut position to limit the upward movement of said support through said member.

'2. In a supplementary support for auto mobile motor units, the combination of the automobile frame, a motor unit mounted therein, a supporting member extending below said motor unit adjacent the rear end thereof and secured to the frame, a support secured to said motor and passing through said member, a coil spring mounted on said support between said motor unit and said member and adapted to limit the downward movement of said motor unit and furnish a fixed support therefor upon predetermined downward movement, and a second spring mounted on said support below said member and adapted to reach its shut position to limit the upward movement of said support through said member, said second being stiffer than said. first spring to furnish a predetermined normal support to the rear end of said motor unit.

3. In a supplementaryv support for motor units with extra transmission, the combina tion with the main frame, the motor unit including extra transmission, the motor being supported at the front and sides from the frame, such side supports beingflexible, of a supporting member attached at its ends to the frame and passing under said extra trans mission, a supporting pin secured to said transmission and passing through said sup-.

porting member, a coil spring mounted on said pin between said transmission and member,'a second coil spring mounted on said pin'below said member, said springs having shut heights to limit the vertical movement of said pin, such shut heights being such as to form solid supports for said motor at the same vertical limits as have the regular side motor supports.

motor being supported at the front and sides from the frame, such side supports being flexible, of a supporting member attached at its ends to the frame and passing under the rear end of the motor unit, a supporting pin secured to said motor unit and passing through said supporting member, a coil heights bein such as to form solid supports for said motor at the same vertical limits as have the regular'side motor supports.

5. In a supplementary support for automobile motor units, the combination of the automobile frame, a motor unit mounted therein, a supporting member extending below said motor unit adjacent the rear end thereof and secured to the frame, an aperture through said member and a support secured to said motor and passing through said member, said support being of substantially smaller diameter than said aperture.

6. In a supplementary support for automobile motor units, the combination of the automobile frame, a motor unit mounted therein, a supporting member extending below said motor unit adjacent the rear end thereof and secured to the frame, an aperture through said member, said support being of substantially smaller diameter than said aperture, a coilspringmounted on said support between said motor unit and said member and adapted to limit the downward movement of said motor unit and furnish a fixed support therefor upon predetermined downward movement, and other means for limiting the upward vertical movement of said support.

7. In a supplementary support for automobile motor units, the combination of the automobile frame, a motor unit mounted therein, a supporting member extending below said motor unit adjacent the rear end support therefor upon predetermined downward movement, and a second spring mounted on said support below said member and adapted to limit the upward movement of said support through. said member.

Signed by me this 26th day of January,

JOHN M. RIORDAN. 

